Fastener for the meeting-rails of sashes



(No Model.)

v 11R. PROGTOR. FASTENER FOR THE MEETING RAILS QF $ASHES.'

Patented-JamZl, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID R. PROCTOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL \VIREMAT COMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

FASTENER FOR THE MEETING-RAILS OF SASHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.4=19,881, dated January21, 1890. Application filed April 9, 1889- Serial No. 306,598. (Nomodel.)

To 0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID R. PROOTOR, a citizen of the-United States,residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fasteners for Meeting-Rails of Sashes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of fastcners for the meeting-rails ofsashes wherein a lever is pivoted to one of the said rails and isadapted to be swung over to engage a catch upon the adjacent rail,whereby to securely fasten the two in alignment and prevent theirseparation except upon detaching the locking device of the lever fromthe catch; and my invention consists in the novel devices andcombinations of devices for the better securing these ends, as hereinfully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing afragmentary portion of a pair of meeting-rails of the respective upperand lower sashes of a window, showing my improved fastener appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a centrallongitudinal section through the fastener, the locking-bolt, with itsspring and releasing-stud, being shown in side elevation and the devicesin their locked position; and Fig. 4 is a similar View with thelocking-lever thrown up under the influence of its spring and themeeting-rails in condition to be separated.

Referring to the drawings, A B represent the respective meeting-rails ofthe sashes, and C D the plates of the fastener mounted thereon. On theplate 0, which may be rectangular in form and cast hollow, as shown inthe sectional figures of the drawings, are inwardly-extendin gear-pieces 0, between which is pivoted upon pin 0 a locking-lever E. Aspiral spring F is coiled about the axis of this swinging lever, itsfree ends ff bearing, respectively, upon said lever and upon the plate0. The base of the locking-lever is preferably hollowed out, as shown inthe sec tional figures, and the end thereof is adapted to impinge uponthe stop 0, forming part of the plate 0, to prevent the lever beingthrown back so as to strike the glass. The locking lever E has alongitudinal bore 6, within which a locking-bolt G is adapted to move,said bolt being seated at one end against a spring g, and having itsopposite end projected normally beyond the end of the hollow of thelocking-lever to adapt it to engage a catch, as hereinafter described.Said lever has also on its respective edges, curved bearing plates orarms e, which are adapted to bear upon lugs hereinafter described.

The plate D, which may be of like form to plate O, has at its inner edgethe upwardlyprojecting lugs d, the purpose of which is to guide thelocking-lever to its position to engage the catch, and also to provide acamsurface over which strain may be exerted by the curved arms or plates6 of the locking-lever tobring the meeting-rails into alignment, andalso to draw them close together or in touch. In order to facilitatethis operation the forward edges of said lugs are preferably curved, asshown in the drawings, and in order to compensate for a lateraldisplace: ment of the sash by sagging or otherwise, and to prevent thelocking-lever from catching on the top of said lugs, I prefer to curvetheir upper ends outwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings,and it will be apparent that with this construction the locking-levermay be guided to its place readily even if the plates 0 and D should bemoved sidewise out of line with each other. 011 the forward edge of theplate D is an upwardly-projecting stud H, having a locking hook or catchh, with which the locking-bolt G engages when the lever is brought to ahorizontal position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The under side of the locking-bolt G and the upper side of the catch Hare reversely beveled to better adapt the locking-bolt to pass by thelocking-shoulder of the catch, and the bolt may have its front endrecessed or cut away, as shown at g. A push-button I has the stemprotruded through an aperture of the stud H and its inner end adapted tobear against the forward end of the locking bolt G when pressure isbrought to bear on the outer end '6 of the button, whereby to force thebolt back against the outward pressure of the spring and thereby causeit to clear the catch h.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. WVhen themeeting rails are brought approximately in line, the locking lever willbe brought down from the position shown in Fig. a, being guided to placeby the side lugs cl, and in case the rails are not exactly in line theycan be brought to position by the impingement of the curved plates orarms e on the sides of the lever upon the curved front faces of the lugsd. When the lever is brought down until the beveled end of the bolt Ghas passed the beveled surface of the catch h, the spring g will operateto throw the bolt forward and cause it to pass under the hook orshoulder of the catch, thus securely locking the parts together. When itis desired to release the fastener, a slight inward movement of thepush-button I will, as before described, push bolt G back so as to clearthe catch, and then the lever will be thrown up to vertical position bythe action of the coiled spring F.

It will be observed that the lever will always rest either in a verticalposition or in a horizontal position, or, in other words, in its lockedor unlocked position, and no observation or especial care will benecessary in manipulating it, because when the locking-bolt is releasedthe lever is thrown up to its vertical position under the influence ofthe spring. The movements of the lever are also the most natural,requiring no skill or care, and the arrangement of parts is such thatconsiderable power is exerted on the sash with slight expenditure offorce. I claim I 1. In a fastener for the meeting-rails of, sashes, thecombination of a plate to be secured to one of the rails and having aswing- 'ing lever pivoted thereon, said lever provided with alongitudinal aperture, a locking-bolt seated within the aperture of thelever against an outwardly-forcing spring and normally projected beyondthe opening thereof, a plate I to be secured on the other rail andhaving curved guiding-lugs between which the lever is adapted to swing,a stud at the front edge of the plate, having a locking-catch for thebolt, and a push-button having a sliding bearing in said stud andadapted to engage the end of the locking-bolt, whereby to release thesame from engagement, substantially as described.

2. In meeting-rails for sashes, the combination of a plate to be securedto one of the rails and having a locking-lever pivoted thereon, saidlever provided with a longitudinal aperture, a springseated locking-boltwithin the aperture of the lever and normally projected beyond theopening of the aperture, a spring coiled about the axis of the lever andnormally adapted to hold the lever in a vertical position, a stop tolimit the backward movement of the lever, and a second plate adapted tobe secured to the other rail, and having thereon lugs provided withcurved front faces and outwardly curved upper ends,

a stud projected from the front face of the plate, and provided with ahook to engage the end of the bolt, whereby to release the same,substantially as described.

3. In a fastening for the meeting-rails of sashes, the combination of aplate to be secured to one of the rails, a lever pivotally connected tosaid plate, said lever provided 7 5 with curved plates or arms on itssides and having a longitudinal aperture, a locking-bolt spring-seatedwithin the aperture, a plate to be secured on the other rail and havingcurved lugs to provide a cam-surface, a stud at the front edge of theplate, having a locking-catch for the bolt, and a releasing device,substantially as described.

DAVID R. PROOTOR.

Witnesses:

O. (J. LINTHICUM, T. D. BUTLER.

